<Field of the Invention>
The present invention relates to a staple-refill, in which connected staples are accommodated, capable of supplying the staples to a stapling machine.
<Related Art>
Electric stapling machines are disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2004-358977, JP-B2-4042159, JP-A-11-235679 and JP-A-07-148674. Among electric stapling machines, there are known a type of stapling machines which are built in a paper processing device provided adjacent to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printing machine. The electric stapling machine includes a motor as a driving source, and sequentially strikes the staples. For example, a staple-refill, in which a connected staple is accommodated, is mounted in a cartridge detachably provided in a stapling-machine main-body. With the electric stapling machine, if the cartridge incorporated with the staple-refill is mounted in a magazine of the stapling-machine main-body, the connected staples are sequentially sent out to a striking section. The sent-out connected staples are sequentially bent into substantially U-shapes from a leading end staple, and then are struck by a driver plate towards sheets of paper to be bound which are placed on a clincher.
The electric stapling machine is provided with a transfer mechanism for sequentially transferring the sheet-type connected staples to a striking section at the time of striking the staple. If the staple-refill is rattled in the cartridge, the transfer mechanism should be configured in view of the rattling, which interferes with additional miniaturization thereof. For example, the transfer mechanism is engaged with a transfer claw on the way in a transfer direction of the connected staple, and a transfer plate provided with the transfer claw is slid while being pushed by a driver for striking the staple, thereby sending the connected staple to the staple guide section. If the staple-refill is rattled in the cartridge, it is necessary to expect a rattling degree and then increase an operation stroke of the transfer plate by the expected rattling degree. Also, it is necessary to increase the stroke of the driver pushing the transfer plate. Therefore, the configuration of the cartridge or the stapling-machine main-body in which the staple-refill is mounted is complicated, and is increased in size.